February 15, 2018
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THE WIZARDRY OF OS
Assistant Basketball Coach and Head Swimming Coach at Central High
You don’t topple or compete with a dynasty by trying to be them. The Pistons were themselves. They were the Bad Boys, and eventually their brand beat out the Showtime Lakers (also the Lakers got old). The Bulls didn’t try to be the Bad Boys, they were Jordan and the Triangle.
In the NFL, the Cowboys were their own balance of run and pass that was not the West Coast offense of the Niners. The Patriots have done it their way.
Before I go any further, a warning. I am not going to preview the LSU baseball team this week. I said I would last week, but it didn’t work out as I am about to get going on another topic. So, LSU baseball starts this week, and I hope to write about it and the season next week. Back to football.
Alabama is a dynasty in college football. Clemson has been their closest competitive rival in the last few years. LSU has not been a competitive rival of Alabama’s since 2011. Wake up Tiger fans, it is 2018. It has been 7 years since LSU was a prominent factor in college football, not one or two.
LSU has not played in a significant bowl since losing to Alabama in the championship game. Furthermore, since 2011, LSU has averaged finishing tied for third in the SEC West. Finishing alone for third in the SEC West this year was an above average year. That is not something I am satisfied with, but it is a fact.
For anyone that is deeply offended that LSU is not what they were in the mid 2000s (the only time in the history of the program that LSU has that level of sustained success mind you), you must see the reality that the program fell from that perch in 2012, not 2017. LSU football in 2017 was very much like LSU football since 2011 (minus the Mettenberger, Beckham, Landry year).
LSU football fans are so upset these days that when they go to basketball games and Aaron Epps has two thunderous dunks during a blowout of Ole Miss, they don’t even stand to cheer.
The most recent overreaction has been a result of the signing class being ranked out of the top 10. Keep in mind that Wisconsin has not finished better than 30th in the recruiting rankings since 2010 and finished in the top 10 the last two years. TCU finished in the top 10 and has not had a class rank better than 20th since 2010. I am not even going to look up the recruiting rankings for Central Florida. Meanwhile, Clemson has been Alabama’s closest competitive rival with recruiting classes in the low teens. Recruiting is a large part of success in college football, but it is not the only part.
Where do you think the class of players I am about to list was ranked? These players turned out to be starters: Kwon Alexander, Vadal Alexander, Danielle Hunter, Dwayne Thomas, Jeremy Hill, Travin Dural, Deion Jones, Dillon Gordon, Jalen Mills, Corey Thompson, Jerald Hawkins, Reid Ferguson (not one bad snap in 4 years at LSU). Before I tell you, look at this next class: Tre White, Ethan Pocic, Kendell Beckwith, Greg Gilmore, Tashawn Bower, Ricky Jefferson, Christian LaCoutre, Lewis Neal, Duke Riley, J. D. Moore, KJ Malone, John Diarse and DeSean Smith. The first group was ranked from 14-18 (lower than this year’s group), while the second group was ranked anywhere from 3-5.
Recruiting rankings take into account if you signed a talented player, but not if you signed the right talented player. There are talented players all over the country. Trey Quinn was and is an extremely talented player. He was the wrong player for LSU’s system (shame on LSU), while he was the perfect player for SMU.
Of course, I wish LSU had signed Patrick Surtain Jr, instead of Alabama. I think he will be a great player in any system. I would have loved for LSU to have signed another defensive back or a quarterback, but at what cost? Is it better for LSU to sign a player to have a higher ranking or should LSU be sure to sign the right player to be a better football team?
Recruiting rankings have not kept up with the new era of transfer rules. Last year’s ranking was not impacted by LSU getting two Texas Tech transfers, Giles and Fehoko, who will start next year. Yet, LSU’s third highest ranked signee last year was Austin Deculus who might or might not start next year. Which signee is more valuable? Obviously, all of them are valuable (Deculus is going to be a good player), but the rankings do not even take into account two starters.
The quarterback situation at LSU is as promising as it has been in a while, but you wouldn’t know if from talking to LSU fans. LSU didn’t sign a quarterback, and that is inexcusable they say. Oklahoma and Auburn made up half of the College Football Playoff this year. Both of their starting quarterbacks were on another schools’ recruiting ranking out of high school because both were transfers to Auburn and Oklahoma.
And just one more nugget for any LSU fan that lives in constant jealousy of Alabama. In 2016, Alabama won the it all while being led by Florida State transfer Jake Coker.
I have no idea how good LSU is going to be next year. If I had to make a prediction right now, I would guess that LSU is going to be the same as they have been the last two years. LSU never had a chance to be great the last two years because of the passing game, and I say that will all due respect to Danny Etling. In 2018, LSU has a chance to be better because of what Brennan or Narcisse could become.
Regardless of what happens this year, LSU is not a top 10 program right now. They have not been since 2012. But where is LSU right now? I think LSU is right where they were for most of the first 100 years, and that is a top 10-20 program. LSU fell because they could not throw the ball consistently for over 150 yards. Amazingly, LSU signed the top receiver class in the country if you believe in that kind of stuff.
Look, no coach (human) is perfect. Who knows how many Super Bowls Jimmy Johnson could have won if he could have kept working for Jerry Jones and still had Aikman as his quarterback. Saban said he wasn’t leaving LSU, he did. He said he wasn’t going to Bama, he did. Belichick didn’t have much success with the Browns and then accepted the Jets job before resigning a day later.
Orgeron said he would find the best offensive coordinator in the country, and it didn’t work with Canada. What happened? As Jim Mora said, “You think you know, but you don’t know. And you never will.” Orgeron and the players believe in Ensminger. That is more important than the fans believing right now.
Here is my point. This is not 1992. LSU is not in the Curley Hallman era. So let’s enjoy the resurgence of LSU basketball, to continued greatness of LSU baseball, and have some hope for LSU football.
I doubt it will make anyone feel any better, but here are some facts on Alabama. Alabama had the top ranked recruiting class for the past seven years. This year they finished 7th and lost a top 50 player on signing day to Georgia of all teams. #thedeclineisreal.
HEY REF
This isn’t a fun time of year for Hey Ref simply because (a) I hate basketball and (b) I hate basketball. Growing up I loved playing basketball but the form or style of the game being played today isn’t how the game was intended to be played. Being less than six feet tall also plays into why I detest today’s version of the game. I can’t understand how any coach, player or official can best explain the why’s and how’s of the game in 2018.
The game as played today does just one thing and that is put on a show for the audience. Back in my day, very long ago, there was this thing called “ART” and another thing called “FINESSE”. Getting the ball down the court by passing to a teammate crossing then breaking for the basket and scoring without being allowed to dunk took skill. But it wasn’t entertaining by any stretch of the imagination. It was just about the only way short white kids could score.
Where I become confused is where you have a 7 foot player flying through the air at breakneck speeds with the grace of ballet dancers and being knocked to the floor yet no foul is called. Then on the very next play going the opposite wayBAM! You’ve fouled the shooter and he gets to shoot free throws. When I started working football games it was engraved into my head the most important thing you can do as an official is be consistent in my calls. There is no way in this world any basketball player and/or official can say they’re consistent. So, that’s about all I’m going to say about basketball except I don’t like the way it’s played and/or called.
So what’s a football official to do while he waits for the next season to start? When I was working games I used this time of year to STUDY the calls I made that previous season. I know it’s a lost art with today’s officials because many are working basketball then of course baseball. I won’t even ask how many study their calls and positions on the field? It’s a very hard thing to do since all game films are of course taken of the teams and not the officials.
I was asked if there was a benefit to watching films if for the most part you won’t see where an official goes during the play, etc., etc. Well, I’ve got to say HELL YES there’s a benefit to studying your calls. When officials have a question on a certain play we aren’t looking where or what the official did but look to the action and if we did make the correct call. And that’s what it’s all about, getting the call correct. One of my last games I had a double foul on a kickoff and while we talked about who did what or why I made the call that I did my referee just said let’s go you’re making us look bad.
I flamed and before I could get my two cents in he’d walked back onto the field and made up an enforcement. That’s the biggest thing I see so many high school officials do, make something up. I’ll say this to every person that wants to work any sport the number one thing you bring to a contest is getting the call correct and the proper enforcement made. That call to this day haunts me not because I might have gotten the enforcement wrong it’s with that referee for not taking the time to insure we as a crew got the call correct.
That off season I was lucky enough to get my hands on a copy from the home team’s side of the field, the side I was working. And as I feared my white hat in his haste to get the game over did screw up the enforcement. I haven’t called him to talk about the call nor did I invite him to view it. He’d never want to look, he’s above making mistakes so what’s the use?
At the end of the day what I’m trying to say is this “Officials, make an honest attempt to study your game films, even if you can only get your hands on one game”. You see some times it isn’t the number of games you watch, it’s the one call you didn’t get right but watching films will insure you won’t make that same mistake next season. So, I answered my own question in that if you are really wanting to advance then you must study and correct your mistakes. It only makes you better and it also makes for a better crew and game!
Till next week…
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